Tokyo, May 26 (Jiji Press)–A government survey has found that 56.9 pct of students at universities and other schools in Japan are satisfied with online classes, far higher than 20.6 pct who answered the opposite.
   

The education ministry survey, conducted on the internet in March, covered 3,000 randomly sampled students at universities, junior colleges and vocational high schools, with 1,744 of them giving valid answers. The results of the survey was released on Tuesday.
   

Students were asked about their lives under the coronavirus crisis. This was the first such survey conducted by the ministry.
   

Of the respondents, 13.8 pct said they were “satisfied” with online lessons they received in fiscal 2020, which ended in March, and 43.1 pct said they were “satisfied somewhat.” The proportion of students who said they were “not satisfied” and “not very satisfied” with  online classes came to 5.7 pct and 14.9 pct, respectively.
   

Nearly 60 pct of all respondents said that most of the lessons they received in fiscal 2020 were given online, according to the survey.
   

Asked about advantages of online education, some students said they can receive lessons at the place of their choice while others said they can study at their own pace.
   

Disadvantages included being unable to take lessons with friends and the lack of interaction between teachers and students, according to the survey. Some complained that they were bombarded with reporting assignments.
   

The ministry has been asking universities and other schools to resume in-person lessons, on top of teaching students online.